Skip to main content

STELLAR STORIES: Creepy and True: Mummies Exposed!

Creepy and True: Mummies Exposed!
By Kerrie Logan Hollihan
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. Informational.

For a few months when I was a little kid, my family lived in London, England where my favorite activity was visiting the British Museum to see the mummies. There is something about a mummy that just never gets old, and as this book (the first in the Creepy and True series) points out - there is always something new to learn. Even if your reader knows all about Egyptian mummies already, they likely haven't heard of soap mummies, bog mummies, or bronzed mummies yet. This expertly compiled compendium will introduce them to the most famous mummies in the world.

I found this book completely fascinating, and I think other mummy fans will too. Many of the stories were familiar to me, but were so well-told I didn't even mind. In addition, there were a very generous number of "factlets" about mummies ancient and modern (like, really modern) that rounded out the book for me. A fair warning, this book lives up to its title and so I wouldn't say it's for the faint-of-heart -- but the brave will be well-educated and well-entertained.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

An ABC of Flowers

An ABC of Flowers   by Jutta Hilpuesch New York, NY : Philomel Books, [2019] It turns out there really is a flower for every letter. This sweet book has a photograph of every flower and  a sweet cartoon illustration to go along with it. All your favorite flowers are here (forget-me-nots, mums, and sunflowers), along with some you probably haven't heard of before (billy ball, kalanchoe, xeranthemum?).  This is a perfect book for reading together, and readers of any age will enjoy every page. Don't miss this great springtime alphabet book. 

Display: Teddy's Top Picks

  Bear in the Air Written by Susan Meyers Illustrated by Amy Bates New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2010. Picture book. When a teddy bear is lost by the child who loves him, the bear begins an adventurous journey to get back home again. -- Editor Blanket and Bear, A Remarkable Pair Written by L.J.R. Kelly Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2013. Picture book. When a boy loses his beloved blanket and bear, they travel a great distance to make their way back to him. -- Editor A Bear to Share Written by Jessica Alba, Nora Weinstein, and Kelly Patricof  Illustrated by Alicia Mas New York, NY : Baby2Baby/Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Picture book. Tiana loves her teddy bear, Bach. She doesn't mind that he's a little worn and somewhat torn. So when her mother suggests she make room for a new bear, Tiana can't believe her ears! Will Tiana have to lose the one bear she really loves? Or will she find room in her heart for t...

Review: Nell O'Dell Hates Quests

Nell O'Dell Hates Quests By Emily B. Martin Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2026. Fiction. 324 pgs. Unlike her parents, famed ex-questers who founded the inn at the Golden Crossroads, Nell O'Dell has no interest in questing. In fact, she has had quite enough of the hoards of questers who crowd the inn each year. Questing, Nell thinks, is a waste of time. But alas! A government mix-up means that Nell will need to travel to the office of the Exchequer to show her family's deed and save the inn. This important mission couldn't possibly be a quest, could it? How about after the deed is stolen by a mysterious girl with a dragon in the middle of the night? Whether she likes it or not, Nell is on a quest—big time - it's up to her to save the crossroads and protect the future of the world. Part quest fantasy and part satire of a quest fantasy, this series opener is a riotous good time. Nell's dry reluctance to engage in questing makes for a humorous plot point, especially a...